Our Double Champion Foothill Felines Manzanita, lovely Bengal queen
and wonderful mother pictured here with her one week old litter.
Our Double Champion Foothill Felines Manzanita, lovely Bengal queen
and wonderful mother pictured here with her one week old litter.
This two-part article about breeding cats and raising kittens is based upon extensive research we have conducted, plus our own hands-on experiences as Bengal Cat breeders. It is our hope that this information will be of real value to our readers, and will therefore ultimately benefit the health and well-being of many domestic cats and kittens around the world. Feel free to browse through this entire page; or, click on any of the following topics: How Often Does a Female Cat Come Into Heat?; What Are The Signs of Heat? ; How Do I Know When I Should Breed My Female? ; How Long Should I Let The Queen Be In With The Male? ; What Are The First Signs Of Pregnancy?; What Should I Feed My Pregnant Queen? ; How Do I Prepare For The Arrival Of Kittens (Materials And Nest Box)?
HOW OFTEN DOES A FEMALE CAT COME INTO HEAT?
In the world of breeding cats, the female cat is usually referred to as a "queen". The queen's heat cycle is often called the "estrus cycle" or simply "estrus". The length of time of the estrus, and the frequency of the estrus cycles depends upon many factors, such as geographic and environmental factors, (temperature and the number of daylight hours, plus her proximity to other intact male and female cats), her age and overall health, and her genetic background. Once a queen goes into heat or estrus, she may stay in heat for several days, to 2-3 weeks. Some queens, once they are sexually mature and enter estrus, do not come out of heat unless and until they are either bred to a full male cat, or spayed. The majority of queens will cycle in and out of estrus during the prime breeding season (roughly December through August), returning back into heat approximately every other week.
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WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF HEAT?
Each queen will exhibit different signs of being in heat or estrus. Unlike dogs, cats rarely show signs of vaginal bleeding during estrus. However, their behavior changes greatly, with the majority of queens becoming quite vocal and loud, and showing increased signs of affection. They may roll around on the floor or plop down right in front of you as you are walking; they constantly want to be with you and be stroked, and when you pet them on their back, they will raise their rear end up high and knead with their front paws.
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HOW DO I KNOW WHEN I SHOULD BREED MY FEMALE?
There are a wide variety of opinions by breeders, veterinarians and animal experts on this. It is always preferable to have your queen be fully grown and mature herself, both physically and emotionally, before attempting to have her become a mother. It is usually recommended to wait until your queen is a year old, and has had 2 heat cycles, before breeding her. However, that said, there are cases when it may not be in her best interest, medically, to wait that long before breeding her. Factors such as breed type, the number and intensity of heat cycles, can all play an important role in this critical decision. Breeders of pedigreed cats walk a fine line between doing what they feel is best for their queens, and actually inadvertently causing problems for the queen by interfering too much with what would be the normal course of events in nature. For some queens, if they have had 3 or more heat cycles without having been bred, especially if these heat cycles are extremely intense, they may become more likely to develop a condition known as "cystic ovaries". Once cysts develop on the ovaries, this will usually render these queens sterile and incapable of becoming pregnant. Occasionally, a feline fertility veterinarian specialist may be able to surgically break down and/or remove the cysts, but obviously this procedure carries other risks and may lead to scar tissue on the affected ovary. Infertile queens should be spayed and make WONDERFUL pets.
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~ Just like with human females, staying in shape has been proven to increase the ability for a queen to become pregnant, as well as her ability to carry a healthy litter full-term. Click on image above to learn about the incredible new exercise wheels for cats; the Toy-Go-Round wheels!! Great for relieving boredom, controlling weight, and keeping your indoor cat in top physical shape. They're simply the best designed, best built and best priced wheels we've found anywhere!! |
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HOW LONG SHOULD I LET THE QUEEN BE IN WITH THE MALE?
Female cats are "induced ovulators", which means that the act of breeding itself is what stimulates her ovaries to release eggs. This is an extremely effective method for conception to take place!! Most female cats require 3-4 breedings within a 24 hour period for ovulation to occur. Again, there are a variety of factors that can play a role here, and the breeder needs to be not only looking out for the well-being of the queen, but also for the overall health and well-being of the male cat ("stud" or "tom"). If the queen and stud are happy together, there is no urgent need to separate them after they have bred. We have left a happy couple together right up until a week prior to the queen's delivery date, several times! Once the queen is pregnant, she will go out of heat, and the male will stop breeding her. Some breeders leave the queen in with the stud for 1-2 days, while others prefer to be a bit more certain that the queen is pregnant, and give them 4 days together. It's important to realize that the shorter the timeframe the queen is in with the tom, the more accurately you'll be able to predict when she is due to deliver her kittens. This becomes especially important if there is a consideration of having a c-section performed.
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WHAT ARE THE FIRST SIGNS OF PREGNANCY?
Pregnancy in cats , called the "gestation period", generally ranges from 60 to 69 days, with the average being 63-64 days. Most of our queens deliver between days 64 and 66. It's very important to mark on your calendar the days you have actually witnessed your queen being bred by the stud cat, as this will be the primary way for you to determine when she is due to deliver her kittens. At about 3 weeks after breeding, a pregnant queen will show some physical symptoms of pregnancy, such as enlarged and rose-colored nipples, and a big increase in appetite and overall interest in food. Your veterinarian should be able to feel her abdomen carefully (called "palpating") and detect any small fetuses. Some queens will have a few episodes of vomiting - the feline version of "morning sickness". Most pregnant queens will become very affectionate, want to be close to you, and thrive on receiving loving reassurances from you that all will be well!!
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Starbengal Vida Mia of Foothill Felines' stunning brown marble Bengal son.
WHAT SHOULD I FEED MY PREGNANT QUEEN?
You should expect that your queen will require and eat quite a bit more food during pregnancy and while she is nursing than she did previously. One way to be sure she is getting enough nutrition is to increase the frequency of her feedings also. It takes an incredible amount of nutrition to create and then to nurse kittens, and if the queen is not taking in enough nutrition, nutrients will be pulled from her own tissues and put her own health at risk. A few days before her due date, you may want to start adding some calcium to her wet food. Calcium supplements for dogs and cats are available at most large pet and feed stores.
Pregnant cats do need special care. Be sure to keep your pregnant queen indoors and in a clean, safe environment at all times. Make certain that her litter box is always extremely clean to avoid the spread of infection; and you may want to switch to a 'shorter' litter box as her belly starts to grow. Be sure she has comfortable, soft places to rest, that she gets plenty of rest, and do everything you can to try to keep the atmosphere around her as stress-free as possible.
~ From the minute you plan to start a cat breeding program, it's absolutely essential to begin putting your intact males and females on nutritional supplements. Breeding is very hard on cats and robs an enormous amount of energy and nutrients from their bodies. Click on image above for more information and to order this uniquely powerful nutritional supplement for felines at our Foothill Felines breeder discount (which is up to 50% less than what veterinarians typically charge). Used and recommended by Foothill Felines, just a pinch a day in wet and/or dry food provides vibrant results with all ages, weights and breeds of cats. Developed by scientists, veterinarians and formulators to enhance the health and lives of cats, this unique Nu- Vet supplement contains many important minerals, antioxidants, enzymes and vitamins INCLUDING taurine, calcium, blue green algae, brewer's yeast, and much more. Many studies show that the ingredients in this supplement are especially important during pregnancy to promote healthy kitten development in utero; build a substantial source of calcium levels in the queen which encourages easier labor and vital milk production, plus providing key nutrition support to help maintain strong immune systems in the queen and her kittens. ~
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PREPARING FOR KITTENS
During the last couple of weeks of pregnancy, and sometimes earlier, the expectant feline mother will usually begin to look for a secure, safe place to have her litter. This is definitely the time for you to introduce her to her "nest box" and birthing area if you haven't done so already. If your queen does not take to the area you have selected for her to have her kittens, you may need to confine her within a large cage or pen, or small bathroom, walk-in closet, etc. Many queens actually prefer this confinement, so they can start to settle down, and scratch around in her nest box. The area you select for her should be quiet and secluded, away from the hustle and bustle of activity, and certainly away from the competition and social stresses from being in close proximity to other animals. Directly below is information and links to very important products we highly recommend for reducing stress in your queen's environment; Feliway (sometimes called "Comfort Zone") pheromone plug-ins, and Bach Flower Essences Rescue Remedy for Pets.
FELIWAY PLUG-INS & SPRAY
~ Click on links above for more information and to order these exceptionally calming products for felines. Used and recommended by Foothill Felines for breeding, queening, cat shows and everyday household situations!! Wonderful for cats of all ages, weights, and breeds of cats. Odorless to humans, these plug-ins release natural cat pheromones into the air for stress relief and eliminating need for cats and kittens to mark or exhibit other unwanted behaviors. ~
BACH RESCUE REMEDY FOR PETS
~ Click on link above for more information and to order the Bach Flower Essence "Rescue Remedy for Pets"; just put a few drops in your pet's drinking water daily for a natural calming, soothing effect. Great help during breeding, queening and cat shows, also. ~
The nest box should be large enough for your queen to move and turn around in, and stand up completely, but not so large that it doesn't seem like a private, cave-like, and safe retreat. Cats are known for their love of curling up in small spaces. Cardboard boxes are often used and make great nest boxes. Be sure the front is at least 8-9" high, to keep the kittens in, yet allow your queen to come and go. Do not use any plastic tubs or boxes for your nest boxes, as there have been reports about lost litters due to the chemicals in the plastics. Place several layers of soft clean, absorbent towels inside the nest box, and let your queen dig around and make her nest in them. Once the kittens have been born, it is then fairly easy to peel back and remove the upper, soiled layers of towels with minimal interruption to the mother and her newborn kittens.
Make sure you have on hand (all in one place that is easy for you to get to when your queen suddenly starts going into labor): 8 to 10 old, soft clean wash cloths; heating pad with cover; small carrier or box which opens from the top; white (colorless) iodine and/or alcohol prep pads; small hemostat; unused dental floss or clean sewing thread; small medical clamp; extra large soft towels for changing the bedding in the nest box; record book and pen; portable phone and emergency veterinary phone numbers; small scale which measures weight in small increments (postage scale, etc.); small baby bulb aspirator; flashlight with working batteries; Dopram-V (doxapram hydrochloride)*, and Oxytocin *. (* ask your vet about the last two). And, be sure to read our article on Breeding Cats, Part II: LABOR & DELIVERY.
2 versions of nest boxes: left, the simple cardboard box;
right, a carpeted piece of cat furniture.
Many breeders also use hard shelled kennels with the front door removed.
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